Staying Connected

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When I was very young, I remember using the telephone in my parents’ house to call a home shopping network in an attempt to get a pretty-looking umbrella. I say “attempted” because I did not actually finish the call. I was able to dial, connect with a customer service representative, and ask for the umbrella, but I did not have my mother’s credit card number, so I had to hand the phone over to her. When my mom realized what I was doing, she politely ended the call and we had a discussion regarding my telephone privileges. It was quickly determined that I had no business using the telephone at that time, especially to purchase items. I was four years old at the time.

Since then, I have learned proper telephone skills such as checking the caller ID to see who is calling and, if I know the caller, picking up before the answering machine engages. I have also learned to leave voice messages, call for my own doctor’s appointments and prescriptions, and how to maintain a polite conversation with someone over the phone. All of these skills were mastered on my parents’ phones, but now we have decided that I have reached a point where I need my own phone. This is partly because my parents feel I should have a phone in case of an emergency, and partly for safety reasons. They want me to be able to reach them at anytime from anywhere and vice versa. They also know that I am able to handle the responsibility of caring for my own phone. So, I recently purchased my first cell phone, and I am looking forward to putting it to good use.

We made the rounds to a few phone stores to see what might work best for me. After consulting with my parents regarding my budget and looking over the prices of the cell phones and the prepaid usage packages that are on the market, I decided that a simple track phone was all I needed. I knew that all I desired for my phone was the ability to make phone calls and a large enough keypad to accommodate my fine motor issues. I had noticed previously when I borrowed other people’s cell phones with small keypads that I kept dialing wrong numbers, so I wanted it to have big buttons. I wanted to know that I would be able to be accurate when dialing. I do not need my phone to have Internet access, the ability to play music or watch videos, or any other fancy bells and whistles. I already have a laptop computer and iPad that can do those things just fine. I will, however, have the capability to text on my new phone. This will be a new skill for me, and I am looking forward to learning how to do it.

I also purchased a cell phone holder that will secure the phone to my pants at the hip. The phone fits snugly into the holder, too, a detail I wanted to make sure of before I purchased it. I also love how the phone is light and easy to use.

This is exactly the kind of phone that will work best for my needs. I purchased the phone, the holder, and a coverage plan which I can easily afford. I am now in the process of learning how to enter phone numbers, text, and maintain my phone. I plan on keeping and using it for a long time, and I cannot wait to give my new phone number to my family members and friends so they know where they can now reach me. This is going to be big!